Small-scale farmers from Philippi were able to sell their food-garden produce at the entrance of a large retail store at Westgate mall last week.
Vulamasango food gardeners Filipe Nsodi, Xolile Mayisela, garden manager Afika Mxolo and Tabea Schatz sold organic beetroot and spinach seedlings; potatoes, herbs, chillies and spinach; and wooden vegetable racks and planter boxes during Shoprite and Checkers Market Day on Thursday May 16.
Vulamasango is a registered non-profit organisation helping communities to garden.
Sanjeev Raghubir, head of sustainability and corporate social investment at the Shoprite Group, said they supported small-scale farmers by equipping them to grow food through agricultural practices that make them more adaptive and resilient to climate change.
“Market Day also gives them the opportunity to generate alternative income by selling their fresh and organically grown produce directly to the public at our supermarkets, and gain valuable retail experience in the process,” he said.
Hunger relief and food security were at the core of the group’s Act For Change programme through which it supported more than 230 food gardens and 4 000 home gardens, he said.
